


Once in a Blue Moon

by HopefulMoonlight



Category: GOT7
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-10 12:57:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5586316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopefulMoonlight/pseuds/HopefulMoonlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Youngjae is an aspiring singer and Jaebum is a bartender</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once in a Blue Moon

**Author's Note:**

> For my wonderful friend [byungnah](http://archiveofourown.org/users/byungnah/pseuds/byungnah) who really wanted 2jae from me.

**Youngjae shivered, a slight chill sweeping down his spine as he stepped out of his apartment, the chilly air nipping at his cheeks. The breeze had picked up slightly since earlier, but he didn’t mind much. Anything to help keep him from sweating profusely as he tried to put his mind off of where he was headed.**  
**To say Youngjae was nervous was an understatement. The poor boy was terrified. He had been mulling over this for weeks. He even came close to calling the owner half a dozen times to back out. But no. He couldn’t pass up this opportunity. He had finally gotten this one shot, and if he let it slip out of his grasp now, who knows when he’d get it back? This is what he had wanted for so long. He’d never worked this hard for anything in his life. So why was he so scared?**  
_Pull yourself together. You can’t wimp out before you’ve even started._

* * *

  
It had been 8 months since Youngjae moved to Seoul in the hopes that he could make it into the music business. Of course he had experience, but he was an amateur, nonetheless, and on top of that, he wanted to go solo, which was no walk in the park. Choi Youngjae was no dancer, so he would have to make it on voice alone. Not that he wasn’t confident in his skills; he knew he was good. He did graduate from a gifted music school, after all. But was he good enough? That was the question that plagued the 21-year-old’s mind every day since he moved into his shabby little apartment.  
  
For the time being, he had managed to worm his way into a job at the bakery down the street, courtesy of his best friend who had been working there a little over a year. It was Yugyeom who had been the one to persuade him to move to Seoul in the first place. He had started attending college there the year before and claimed it was lonely without him. So with enough begging and pleading, Youngjae finally gave in.  
  
So Youngjae worked full-time on the week days, leaving his weekends to roam the streets, scouting out possible venues around the city to try out for small gigs here and there. He tried hotels, bars, coffee shops, restaurants, the works, hoping for anything. Turns out finding a place that was interested in his style was a lot harder than he bargained for. Because of the sheer amount of other artists wanting to make names for themselves, most places were booked out a couple months in advance to make slots for everyone, in addition to the ones who were already established as semi-regulars in those domains. He would always give them his number to call in case a spot opened up, but no one ever did.  
  
He had just about given up, when one Saturday he happened upon a small bar a couple blocks from his apartment. There was a vertical neon sign overhead that read “The Blue Moon,” in cursive script, with a picture of a blue crescent moon over a half-full martini glass. It looked a little seedy from the outside, but he was running out of options. He gathered himself and nervously opened the door. It was only a little after 5:00, so there weren’t any customers just yet. The place wasn’t huge, but it was pretty decently sized; a good amount of space for dancing as well as eating and drinking, and not seedy at all. The bar itself was in the center, slightly to the left. A variety of different-sized tables were spread neatly around the room, with royal blue booths lining the walls, and chairs to match. It looked a little dingy in the poor light, but he could tell it was probably a lot nicer during heavier business hours. His eyes fixated for a moment on the medium-sized stage in the far right corner before he timidly wandered in, looking for anyone who might be of authority.  
  
A bartender was walking around wiping off tables. He was fairly young; Youngjae guessed he was probably around his age, maybe a bit older. His ruffled black hair was parted to the side, bangs falling slightly into his face as he leaned over the tables. He had on a nice dark blue button-up and dark jeans that fit his slender build nicely. _Kinda cute_ , Youngjae mused, but not really his type. _Nice ass, though_. “Can I help you?” he asked when he noticed Youngjae standing in the doorway.  
  
“Oh, um, yeah I was hoping to speak to a manager?” Youngjae said nervously.  
  
“You looking for a job?”  
  
“Um, sort of…I – do you guys hire live music?”  
  
“Yeah, sure,” he smiled. “I’m Jr.,” he smiled, extending his hand.”  
  
“Youngjae,” the singer smiled stiffly, shaking his hand.  
  
“Our manager’s in the back. I’ll go get him for you if you don’t mind waiting a bit.”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
Youngjae sat awkwardly on the edge of one of the bar stools as he waited for the bartender to return, eyes darting around the room anxiously, foot tapping on the edge of the stool. The bartender came back shortly with a slightly intimidating looking man in a grey suit. Youngjae immediately stood, rubbing his sweaty palms across the sides of his jeans.  
  
“Park Jinyoung,” he said, nodding slightly towards Youngjae.  
  
The younger bowed. “Choi Youngjae.”  
  
“What can I do for you?” he smiled. Suddenly, he seemed a bit less intimidating.  
  
“Are you guys hiring singers at the moment?”  
  
“Well,” he said, “Our slots are a bit full, but I’m sure we can find an opening somewhere…if you’re good, of course. What’s your style?”  
  
“Mostly ballads, but I can do other stuff, too. I don’t rap, though, but anything else, I’m pretty much up for,” he said, slightly failing at trying to mask his excitement of finally finding a potential gig.  
  
The man thought for a minute. “Alright. How ‘bout you come by on Thursday some time before 6:00 and have a few samples prepared for me, okay? And then we’ll see about working you in. Does that work for you?”  
  
“Yes sir,” Youngjae said, slightly flustered. _Could this really be that easy?  
_  
“Here’s my card in case you need to get in touch,” the manager said.  
  
“Thank you, sir,” Youngjae bowed.

* * *

  
**He tried to distract himself by counting the light posts on the side of the street. Counting always helped calm him down when he was in a nerve-racking situation. He walked slowly, trying to prolong his journey as much as possible.**  
**At last he saw the faint light pouring onto the sidewalk around the corner. He stopped himself, leaning against the wall.**  
_You can do this. You need this._

* * *

  
“Wait, really?!” Yugyeom asked excitedly as he pulled his light blue apron over his head, tugging at it as it caught on his ear. They loved the days when they got to work together. Yugyeom would come to work after class and hang out at Youngjae’s afterward.

  
“Yeah,” Youngjae said a little sheepishly. “I’m supposed to go by Thursday to audition.”

  
“That’s great! About damn time. So what are you gonna sing?”

  
“I don’t know yet.” Youngjae fiddled with the strings on the end of his apron. “I was thinking a ballad…but then what if he wants something more upbeat? I just…it needs to be perfect. I have a lot riding on this.”

  
Yugyeom stopped for a moment to cash out a customer. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” he said, handing back their change. “You know what your niche is. Besides, anything you do will be great. They’re just looking for your talent right now. You can figure out the technicalities later. You just need to focus on getting in. But if you need any help, let me know. We can even look through some stuff today, if you like.”

  
“Yeah, that sounds great,” he smiled. “Thanks.”

* * *

  
**He took a deep breath and, with a trembling hand, slowly opened the door. He wasn’t sure whether he was shaking more from the cold or from nerves, but at least the warmth exuding from inside was enough to ease both. The atmosphere was considerably nicer than how it looked during the daytime. The lights emitted tinted glows of yellow, blue, and pink - very warm and bright. It definitely gave off a bit of a different vibe than what he was used to, but certainly not unpleasant; quite the opposite, actually. It wasn’t too fancy, but it was definitely of a higher caliber. One of those holes-in-the-wall for the more artsy, upper middle-class.**  
**Although he felt slightly out of place, he hoped he wouldn’t be completely unwelcome to the scene. It was still only 8:00, so while there were quite a few people, the larger influx of customers still had a while to trickle in. He looked around in hopes of spotting the manager.** _Probably in his office,_ **he thought, wandering towards the back, trying to keep his shaking hands under control.**

* * *

  
“Uuugh, this isn’t working!”  
  
“You too stressed,” Yugyeom said. “Come on, let’s take a break.”  
  
“But I need to get this right,” the older huffed, dragging his fingers through his dark hair.  
  
“And you will, but not when you’re all tense. C’mon, let’s get something to eat.”  
  
The two traipsed into the kitchen, rifling through Yugyeom’s cabinets and fridge to conjure up a snack while Youngjae pondered over his audition.  
  
They ate in silence for a minute before Yugyeom piped up, “What about ‘I Believe I Can Fly?’”  
  
Youngjae stopped mid-chew. “My high school audition song?” he asked skeptically.  
  
“Why not?”  
  
“It’s so old, and I haven’t sang that in a long time.”  
  
“But it was so good! I’m sure it’ll come back to you once you run through it a few times.”  
  
Youngjae looked at him hesitantly.  
  
“It can’t hurt anything.”  
  
Youngjae sighed. “I guess you’re right.”  
  
“Yay! Come on, let’s get started.” Yugyeom grabbed his hand to drag him back to his room.  
  
“Wait! Can we finish eating first?” Youngjae pleaded.  
  
Yugyeom grinned. “Sure.”

* * *

  
**Youngjae knocked hesitantly on manager Park’s door, which was left slightly open. “Come in,” the manager said. Youngjae stepped tentatively into the surprisingly clean and spacious office. “Ah, Youngjae!” he said, looking up from his computer. The younger gave a bow. “Are you ready?”  
**  
**“As I can be.”  
**  
**Manager Park expressed something between a grin and a grimace. “All right, well I’ll have the band start setting up in a few and I’ll let you know when you’re on, okay?”  
**  
**“Yes, sir.”  
**  
**“Good. In the mean time, you can get yourself a little more acquainted with the place if you like. Just stay inside so we can find you.”  
**  
**“Yes, sir,” he said, bowing as he walked out the door.**

* * *

  
Thursday finally rolled around. It was after 3:00 and business at the bakery was practically nonexistent. Youngjae was anxiously tapping his fingers on the countertop as they waited for the okay from their manager to start cleaning up. Yugyeom placed his hands firmly over his friend’s, pushing them down. “Will you stop that? You’re worrying me.”  
  
“Sorry, I’m just really nervous.”  
  
“I know. But look, you’ll do fine. You know that song forwards and backwards. And he already seems willing to hire you on. You’ve practically already got the job.”  
  
“You think so?”  
  
“Duh.”  
  
“Okay, boys, it’s 3:30.” Their manager peeked his head around the door from the kitchen. “Let’s wrap it up.”  
  
“Yes, Mr. Lee,” said Yugyeom.  
  
The two boys cleaned up in a hurry and were out just after 4:00. “Do you want me to go with you?” Yugyeom asked as they put up their aprons.  
  
“Nah, I’ll be okay. I’ll let you know how it goes, though.”  
  
“Sounds good. Come by my place after and we can go out to celebrate,” Yugyeom smiled.  
  
“Hey, I haven’t gotten it yet.”  
  
“Yeah, _yet_ ,” he smirked.  
  
Youngjae rolled his eyes.  
  
“See you tonight,” Yugyeom said as they parted.  
  
Youngjae made his way towards The Blue Moon, trying to steady his breathing, running through the song in his head. When he got to the door, he stopped for a minute to collect himself, then took a deep breath as he opened the door. It was quiet, like before. He looked around until a spotted the bartender. He was a different one than last time. “Excuse me,” Youngjae said.  
  
The bartender looked up and Youngjae’s heart stopped. Any confidence he had mustered up before he entered suddenly evaporated. He’d never seen eyes like that before, and now that he had, he never wanted to look away. He brushed his jet black hair out of his face that was too handsome for his own good. “Yes?”  
  
Youngjae swore that was the most dazzling smile he’d ever seen. It took him a second to come out of his daze. “Oh, uh, um, I’m looking for manager Park. I’m here for an audition.”  
  
“He’s in his office,” the pretty boy nodded towards the back.  
  
“Oh, okay. Thanks,” he said, heading uncertainly towards where the bartender gestured.  
  
“Hey,” the guy called after him. “What’s your name?”  
  
He turned back. “Youngjae.”  
  
The bartender flashed his radiant whites again. “Good luck, Youngjae.”  
  
“Thanks,” he smiled back.  
  
Youngjae walked down the hall until he found the door that read Park Jinyoung on the nameplate. He closed his eyes and knocked. The next few seconds felt like hours until the manager opened the door.  
  
It all felt like a blur as he was walking back out the door, a little disappointed he didn’t see the hot bartender on the way out. He frantically clicked Yugyeom’s name on his phone with shaky fingers. “Yug-“  
  
“Congratulations!” his friend blurted, cutting him off.  
  
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”  
  
“Yeah, but you got hired, right?”  
  
“Well yeah, but-“  
  
“See, I told you! When are you performing?”  
  
“Two weeks from tomorrow. But he wants me to e-mail him a set list by Monday so the band has time to prepare.”  
  
“Nice. I knew he’d love you. So where are we going for dinner? I’m buying.”  
  
Youngjae sighed, chuckling lightly. He definitely had the best friend in the world.

* * *

  
Youngjae glanced around the room and found an open seat at the bar. He was looking at the time on his phone when the bartender approached him. “Hey, Youngjae, right?”  
  
Youngjae hesitated before slowly looking up, feeling his ears start to burn. “Um, yeah.” He gave a nervous smile. “You remembered?”  
  
“I never forget a pretty face,” he smirked.  
  
Youngjae’s eyes widened, the red from his ears creeping onto his cheeks.  
  
“So,” he continued, handing another drink to the man on Youngjae’s left, “I take it that little audition went well?”  
  
“Um, yeah. I’m performing tonight.”  
  
“Can’t wait to hear it,” he purred, his honey-drenched voice sending a shiver down Youngjae’s spine. “Manager Park only accepts the best.”  
  
“Thanks.” Youngjae was only feeling more flustered at this point.  
  
“I’m Jaebum, by the way.” The bartender extended his hand. Youngjae shook it softly. “That lady killer over there is Mark.” He gestured to Youngjae’s right, where an extremely attractive guy with dyed blonde hair and all smiles was not-so-subtly flirting with the two mini-skirted girls he was serving. Jaebum lowered his voice. “Don’t let his façade fool you. He totally has a boyfriend.”  
  
“I heard that JB,” Mark said, as he had come over to mix up a couple more drinks for the girls, who from Youngjae’s perspective were probably past their limit already. “You trying to blow my cover?” he teased.  
  
Jaebum grinned. “Oh please, this one’s harmless. Right, Youngjae?” he asked, lightly placing his hand over the singer’s, a playful glint in his eyes.  
  
Before he could respond, Youngjae’s attention was drawn to the front door opening as Yugyeom stepped in. He waved excitedly when he saw Youngjae, striding over to him. Youngjae waved back, relieved.  
  
“Hey, ready for your big night?” Yugyeom asked.  
  
Youngjae shrugged.  
  
Yugyeom placed his hands on his friend’s shoulders, oblivious to the cautious glare Jaebum was giving him. “You’re gonna do awesome. We put together a great set list. I’m so excited. Come sit with me!” He grabbed the singer’s hand and looked for a spot.  
  
“Break a leg,” Jaebum called after him as Yugyeom dragged Youngjae to an open table close to the stage.  
  
“He was cute,” Yugyeom whispered as they sat down.  
  
“Yeah,” Youngjae blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“Ooo, do you like him?” Yugyeom taunted.  
  
“Sshhh,” Youngjae whispered, lightly slapping the younger’s arm.  
  
“What’s his name?” Yugyeom probed.  
  
“Jaebum.”  
  
“He totally likes you,” the younger grinned giddily.  
  
Youngjae huffed. “Oh please.”  
  
“Just saying.”  
  
Just then, manager Park appeared at their table. “You’re on in five.”  
  
Youngjae nodded.  
  
“You got this,” Yugyeom said quietly. “Remember, if you get nervous, just look at me.”  
  
Youngjae smiled, following manager Park to the side of the stage. When it was time, the manager went up and introduced the new performer. Youngjae went up after him and bowed to the audience, trying to keep his knees from buckling. He glanced at Yugyeom who was grinning brightly and gave him two thumbs up. Youngjae breathed deeply, then turned and nodded to the band to show he was ready.  
  
By the time they finished the second song, Youngjae was a little more relaxed, and even though the crowd was fairly quiet, there was still a good vibe. They started into the third song, JYP’s “Honey.” It was more upbeat, and Youngjae found himself really getting into it, swaying his body. He got the courage to look away from Yugyeom and he couldn’t help but cast his gaze towards the bar. His voice almost faltered when he locked eyes with Jaebum, the bartender’s gaze fierce as he took in the singer’s swaying hips, the lightest sheen of sweat on his forehead from nerves and the small stage lights. Still, Youngjae recovered himself quickly, letting the ebony-haired beauty’s stare add fuel to his fire, subtly flirting the rest of the song. He felt so much more powerful when he was on stage.  
  
Before he knew it, they had reached the last song, Bruno Mars’ “When I was Your Man.” He gave his everything until the last note, internally smiling to himself that it was almost over, without any mess-ups along the way. He quickly noted the expression on Jaebum’s face – mesmerized.  
  
He couldn’t help but grin widely as he finished the last note, bowing several times as the audience clapped. Although it was sparse, it was sincere, and he could feel it. Yugyeom beamed at him as he went up to him, practically bouncing with adrenaline and left-over nerves. The younger pulled him into a hug. “You did it!”  
  
“Yeah,” Youngjae exhaled.  
  
“You want something to drink?” Yugyeom asked.  
  
“God yeah.”  
  
The two wandered over to the bar. “Quite a set of lungs you got there,” Mark complimented as he went up to them to take their drink order.  
  
“Thanks,” Youngjae blushed.  
  
“Manager Park looks pretty impressed with you. I’m sure he’ll make you a regular.”  
  
“You think?” Youngjae asked hopefully.  
  
“Definitely,” Mark smiled charmingly as he handed them their drinks, pretending not to notice the curious and suspicious glances Jaebum kept throwing their way. “So are you two…” Mark asked uncertainly, gesturing between the boys.  
  
“What? Oh…no,” Youngjae waved his hand dismissively. “We’re just friends.”  
  
“Oh, okay. That’s good.”  
  
Youngjae cocked his head questioningly.  
  
Mark leaned in closer. “I’ve never seen JB look at anyone like that before,” he confessed.  
  
Yugyeom nudged his friend. “Told you,” he whispered, smirking.  
  
“Shut up,” Youngjae blushed, elbowing Yugyeom in the side.  
  
“Hey!”  
  
With the customers on his side content for the moment, Jaebum took the opportunity to go congratulate the singer. “Quite a performance,” he said, waltzing over to the group.  
  
“Thank you,” Youngjae said surprisingly confidently.  
  
“Mark, why don’t you refill their drinks?” he cooed, not taking his eyes off of Youngjae.  
  
Mark scoffed, but went to go fetch new glasses.  
  
“Thanks,” Youngjae started, “but we don’t really have –“  
  
“It’s on the house,” Jaebum winked. “Who’s your friend?” He eyed Yugyeom skeptically.  
  
“This is my friend Yugyeom,” he said, putting slight emphasis on “friend.”  
  
Jaebum seemed to relax a little. “Oh,” he nodded, smiling at Yugyeom.  
  
Mark came back with their drinks, and Jaebum returned to his side of the bar, where an older man was impatiently tapping his empty glass on the counter.  
  
When the two were ready to leave, they thanked Mark and grabbed their jackets. They were getting up from the bar when Jaebum’s voice stopped them in their tracks. “Hey songbird.” He motioned for Youngjae to come over.  
  
“Thanks for the show,” he winked, handing him a small piece of paper.  
  
Youngjae felt his cheeks grow hot again, not daring to open it in front of him. “See you around.”  
  
The singer nodded, following his friend out the door into the bitter fall cold. Yugyeom stared at him expectantly with his Cheshire grin.  
  
“What?” Youngjae huffed.  
  
“I told you he likes you,” the younger practically squealed.  
  
Youngjae remained silent.  
  
“I bet he thinks you’re totally hot.”  
  
“Oh please.” Youngjae playfully pushed him, but couldn’t hide the excited smile creeping onto his lips.  
  
“Aren’t you gonna open it?” Yugyeom asked, glancing at the paper that was now slightly damp with sweat in Youngjae’s fidgety hands.  
  
“Eventually,” the older smiled slyly.  
  
“I bet it’s his number,” Yugyeom encouraged.  
  
“If I open it, will you stop pestering me?”  
  
“Probably not,” he smirked playfully.  
  
“Ugh, fine, whatever,” Youngjae said, coming to a halt. He held the little paper in front of him, slightly intimidated.  
  
“If you don’t, I will,” Yugyeom prodded, his head peering over his friend’s shoulder.  
  
“Okay, okay.” Youngjae slowly unfolded the paper to reveal the ten digits scrawled in slightly messy, but still pretty handwriting, with the initials “JB” scrawled at the bottom.  
  
Youngjae bit his lip, smiling shyly.  
  
“I knew it, I knew it!” Yugyeom exclaimed. “He totally wants you,” he said confidently, earning another smack on the arm from Youngjae, who grinned like a shy little school girl all the way back to his apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank everyone so much for reading. This is the first GOT7 story I've posted, and my first post on here, so I'd love to hear what you think. All feedback is welcome. ^^  
> ~HM♡


End file.
